


Tell Me I'm Alive

by momo0231



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: After NWHS, Drabbles, Gen, Stanley is not in a good place, and how Stanley is doing, before a tale of two stans, but Stanford wants to help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-03 14:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4104592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momo0231/pseuds/momo0231
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stanley’s hands were shaking and there were the telltale sign of tears running down his face. The scene broke Stanford’s heart and he put his hand on his arm. It was a bad idea, because he just flinched away from him.</p><p>He took his hand away, unsure about what to do to help him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell Me I'm Alive

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Believe by Mumford and Sons
> 
> These bros I swear
> 
> Written before ATOTS

Adjusting was harder than either of them could have imagined. Stanley knew it was going to be tough, and Stanford knew he wasn’t the same as when he left but he was so sure that it was going to work out.

Stanford didn’t know what his brother had to go through behind the portal, he never asked and he didn’t know if he wanted to know. All he knew was that his brother changed.

He was jumpy, barely slept and ate food like it was the last meal he was ever going to get.

Any attempts to ask if he was okay were shrugged off. He spent thirty years trying to get Stanley back, but he didn’t even seem to be grateful.

The ex-boxer sighed, taking his fez off and putting it on the hook next to his bed. It’s been a long time since he’s been to bed at a normal hour and he can’t say that he didn’t like it.

He was about to crawl into bed when he heard a shrill scream.

It came from downstairs, not the attic and for some reason that worried him even more.

Stan burst through his door, meeting Dipper and Mabel at the stairs. They looked just as worried as he did, but he managed to assure them that he could take care of it.

He approached his brother’s room, hesitating for just a moment. Would he be welcomed? He pushed the thought away as he knocked on the door and opened it slowly.

Stanley was on his bed, holding his legs to his chest, his head between his knees. He was taking shallow breaths, and it didn’t look like he was calming down at all.

Stanford crossed the room in two strides and sat on his brother’s bed. “It’s okay.” He said quietly, trying to make his voice as soothing as he could. The ex-boxer didn’t make any motion to touch him, but he tried to make his voice heard over his breathing. “You’re okay.” Stan deliberately started to breath slower, hoping that his brother would copy him.

Stanley’s hands were shaking and there were the telltale sign of tears running down his face. The scene broke Stanford’s heart and he put his hand on his arm. It was a bad idea, because he just flinched away from him.

He took his hand away, unsure about what to do to _help_ him.

There was silence between the brothers for a few minutes before Stanley reached out and grabbed his brother’s wrist.

His breathing did seem to be a little better, but he was still crying. “Lee.” The old nickname made the said man look up. “You’re okay. You’re in Gravity Falls, you’re with me and nothing can get you know. I won’t _let_ anything get you.”

Stanford had no idea if this was helping, but he wasn’t going to break eye contact with his brother now. He was determined to let him know that he was being truthful. Stanley shifted, and suddenly he was hugging him tightly. His face was pressed into Stanford’s shoulder as he sobbed into it.

The author had Stanford in a death grip, but the man didn’t care too much. It was the most emotion he’s seen from his brother this whole week that wasn’t annoyance. He held his brother tightly, rubbing his back in a circled soothing motion.

The ex-boxer repeated the same phrases, how everything was fine and he was here and it was okay. His brother sniffed, bringing one of his hands up to rub at his cheeks. “I don’t know if I believe you.” He mumbled. Stanford froze, because he had just heard the same words from Dipper not too long ago.

It hurt, more than he was willing to admit. “I would never lie to you, you know that.” He said softly, his voice thick with emotions. “I told you I would get you back, and I did. I’m tellin’ you that you’re gonna be okay and you _will_ be. Maybe okay won’t be the same as it was before all of this happened, but it’s still gonna be okay.” Stanford didn’t even know if he was making sense, but he couldn’t have his brother like this.

He started to rub circles on Stanley’s back again. “You’re here, you’re alive and if anyone can get through all of this it’s _you_. You’ve always been the stronger one, the alpha twin.” He heard a watery chuckle from the author and counted it as a win.

They stayed like that for a long time, Stanford comforting Stanley and Stanley wiping away tears. Eventually, Stanley’s breathing returned to normal before slowing from sleep. The ex-boxer smiled, slowly detangling himself from his brother’s limp body and tucking him into bed.

No, it wasn’t going to be easy to adjust, but whoever said that the Pines twins took the easy route? They had each other, which meant that they could take whatever was coming at them.


End file.
